It wasn’t the melodramatic prose or poignant narrative that struck me-it was the mileage. Once a Runner tells the fictional story of Quenton Cassidy, who goes to the woods, trains his butt off and ends up winning an Olympic medal. Then, I found a dog-eared copy of the cult-classic novel Once a Runner, and everything changed. I was running 20 to 30 mostly hard miles per week (along with some biking), thinking I was doing things right. In summer 2010, I had just graduated college after gradually getting into running over the previous four years. It took me way too many years to learn this lesson. But in all cases, the common denominator of expertise is time invested. Mindlessly slamming the piano keys or taking a knife to grandma during her afternoon nap will not make you an expert (nor popular with the neighbors). In both activities, it is important that your practice has some direction. Want to be a great surgeon? Cut a lot of people open. Want to be a good pianist? Practice a lot. People complicate it, but running is like almost every other activity.

So if you want breakthroughs on the trails, the best way to get them is to run more than you have before. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!

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